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Swain Beef is a beef feedlot and cash crop farm in Blackstock, Ontario.

Our Farming Philosophy

The health and well being of our animals is very important to us:

Cattle are housed in outdoor pens with ample fresh air, bedding and protection from the elements

Younger cattle are on pasture during the growing season and all cattle finish growing in our yards.

We work with a ruminant nutritionist to ensure the feed rations are balanced and designed to meet the needs of the animals at the various stages of growth.

Our modern handling system is designed to minimize stress for the animals and emphasize safety for the people working with the animals.

We work to improve our land using a variety of farming methods and philosophies:

No-till planting equipment and minimal tillage. By keeping the soil intact, erosion does not deteriorate the land.

Precision agriculture tools (GPS and RTK) to optimize seed and fertilizer placement. By putting nutrients exactly where the plant needs them, the possibility of surface water contamination decreases, and less fertilizer is required.

Cover crops have become an important part of our crop rotation. We keep living roots in the soil as much as possible to enrich the biotic component of our soils. We have tillage radish, crimson clover and rye grass thriving below the canopy of our corn crop so when the corn is harvested, a second crop continues to keep nutrients active.